In Defense of Slytherins
by Galatyn Renner
Summary: Someone's nice to Snape. Not Romance. Not Hermione. Not a Mary Sue. Please review!


In Defense of Slytherins  
  
A Snape and Ursula story  
  
by Galatyn Renner  
  
Disclaimer: Severus belongs to Ms. Rowling, who should be nicer to him. Ursula belongs to me, as do the sandwiches, but you can use either if you ask me first. This is the first in a whole Snape and Ursula series (sorry if that makes some people gag) that I've written but not typed up. I appriciate reviews of all sorts, even flames, but if you flame me, I will flame back. I've borrowed one of Charlie Weasley's dragons for the express purpose of burning nasty readers. This story is dedicated to Mrs. Vavra, a stellar librarian. I wouldn't have read Sorcerer's Stone, otherwise. Love your librarians, people.  
  
  
  
Gryfindor had double Potions with Slytherin. Professor Snape began by calling the role, as usual.  
  
"Patil, Parvati?"  
  
"Present."  
  
"Potter, Harry?" Snape glanced sharply in the direction of Harry's seat, as if hoping he wouldn't be there. No such luck.  
  
"Here." Harry had decided to try and get on Snape's good side this year, though his friends had assured him this would be impossible.  
  
"Rénardier, Ursula?"  
  
Happy at finally hearing her name pronounced correctly, the newest French import leapt to her feet, "Present, sir!" The newest Slytherin was sick of hearing the 'a' pronounced in her first name and of being called Miss Renardeer. Some particularly inventive students had thought it very funny to refer to her as 'That Awful French Reindeer'  
  
"That will do, Miss Rénardier." Snape's eyes flicked to the tricolor sash she had tied on over her robes. "And may I remind everyone that Hogwarts uniforms are not to be augmented, especially not with another school's colors. Five points from Slytherin." Professor Snape pulled out his wand and pointed it at Ursula. The sash untied itself and floated across the room to fold neatly in his hand. Snape put it in a desk drawer.  
  
Ursula sat down to stunned silence. As far as anyone could remember, Professor Snape had never taken any points from his own house.  
  
Snape continued with the roll and then began class by saying: "Open your Potions manuals to page 183. We will be concocting Forgetfulness Serum. There will be a test tomorrow."  
  
Throughout the class Ursula was very quiet. She kept her head down and when she raised her hand to answer a question, she was never called on.  
  
Professor Snape ended class with another reminder about the test and an evil look at the Gryfindors in general and Neville Longbottom in particular. Neville had managed to upset his cauldron all over his feet and they were, even now, forgetting how to walk. The class filed out, Neville assisted by Harry and Ron. Ursula, instead of leaving with her fellow Slytherins, remained at her desk until all of the students were gone. Professor Snape was at his desk looking over some papers. Ursula walked over and stood in front of him until he noticed her.  
  
Snape looked up. "You may have your sash back, Miss Rénardier, but I would appreciate it if, in the future, you did not wear it to class" He handed it to her.  
  
Ursula took it, but did not leave.  
  
"Was there anything else?"  
  
"Yes, sir: I'm worried about the points you took off. Is there anyway I could earn them back?"  
  
Snape looked astonished, "My dear girl, are you sure you belong in Slytherin?"  
  
"Yes, quite sure. I really enjoy your classes, Professor."  
  
"You do?" Snape had recovered and now only sounded mildly surprised  
  
"Yes, we never did anything like that at Beauxbatons; it was mostly magical theory. Though I do have a question."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Why would you use Forgetfulness Serum instead of 'Obliviate'?"  
  
"It's much more subtle. I think that's why Potions is a largely ignored branch of magic: it's too subtle. For instance, if I wanted to wipe someone's memory I would slip a timed potion into their drink and no one would know I had done it."  
  
"How do you time a potion?"  
  
Snape smiled. "Ah, that's very tricky. I'm still perfecting it. Would you like to see?"  
  
"Yes, please!" Ursula followed him down the corridor to a door which he unlocked with his wand. Snape held the door for her and Ursula entered a laboratory full of steaming cauldrons and rows upon shelves of bottles and jars. She sighed breathlessly.  
  
"Don't touch anything. I can't think why I let you in here. Nobody but the Headmaster and I have seen this place for years." Snape walked over to a cauldron and stirred it absently.  
  
"Is this your private laboratory, sir?" Ursula was staring with fascination at everything around her.  
  
"One of them. Don't you have lunch now?"  
  
"I'm not hungry and I'd much rather stay here."  
  
Snape looked rather flattered. "Hand me the Clarifying Solution, would you."  
  
"Which one is it?"  
  
"The tall blue bottle on the left."  
  
Ursula found the right one after a couple of tries and he tipped a few drops into the cauldron. "Why doesn't anything have labels?"  
  
"Because I know where everything is. And so that if anyone gets in here who isn't supposed to, they can't find what they're looking for."  
  
"What's this one?" Ursula took down a cut-glass bottle half full of murky green liquid.  
  
"Cobra venom. It's useful in many potions because it can be rendered harmless by quite a few substances. Also an effective, fast-acting poison. Unfortunately, though, very easy to detect. Put it back, please."  
  
"What are you going to do for the next class?" Ursula moved over to stand beside him so she could peer into the cauldron.  
  
"Love potions," Snape grimaced. "They're required. The idea is to give students a basic knowledge of the different types. Not that anyone ever listens."  
  
"Won't someone try to brew one and give it to someone else?"  
  
"Oh, students do. Invariably. Every fifth-year class that I have ever taught this to contained someone who brewed a Love Potion for their personal use. I doubt this year will be any different. Fortunately, most common love potions are both easily recognized and easily reversed. Here, stir this." Snape handed his wand to Ursula and crossed the room to pull a tiny bottle off of the very top shelf.  
  
"I've never quite understood how love potions work. Do you have to see the person right after your drink or can you tailor the mixture somehow?"  
  
Snape looked at her sharply and took his wand back, "Are you planning on brewing one, Miss Rénardier?"  
  
"Oh, no, sir. I was just wondering. It seems very imprecise."  
  
"It is. Most simple love potions require that the drinker look at someone within minutes of swallowing. Advanced potions, however, require a piece of the intended receiver of the affection, like Polyjuice. There are some excellent Potion books in the library, have you looked at them?" Snape poured the contents of the tiny phial into the cauldron and it began to foam.  
  
"I've read all of the ones that aren't Restricted. And I'd really like to read those, but I have yet to find a teacher who'll give me permission."  
  
"Stir this twenty times counter-clockwise. I'll be back in a moment." Snape handed the wand back to Ursula and left the room. She stirred, puzzled.  
  
He was back a few minutes later carrying a plate of sandwiches and a piece of paper. Snape cleared a place on one of the tables and set the plate down. "It needs to simmer for another hour. Come over here and eat something; you've got Charms in fifteen minutes."  
  
Ursula reluctantly put down the wand and picked up a sandwich. She took a bite, "Roasted vegetable, my favorite!" She looked at him suspiciously, "How did you know?"  
  
"I didn't, they're Self-Adapting Sandwiches. A little something the Headmaster and I worked up last year. He was tired of having to put his pickle and mustard together himself. The house-elves didn't want to." Snape smiled, "I thought you'd like them." He took a sandwich and bit into it.  
  
"What's yours?"  
  
Professor Snape swallowed, "Spinach and bacon. The house-elves don't particularly like that one, either."  
  
Ursula was overcome with what sounded strangely like a fit of giggles. "Sorry, I had you figured for a roast beef and horseradish person."  
  
"No, I believe Professor McGonagall enjoys that particular combination. You've got five minutes to get to Charms."  
  
Ursula finished her sandwich very quickly. She stood up and brushed her robes off. "Professor, this has been one of the best times in my life. Thank you. I would be very interested to see how that potion turns out." She turned to go.  
  
"Ursula, wait." Snape held the piece of paper out to her. "I'll only give this to you if you promise me that you won't brew any without me and that you'll study for the test tonight and not stay up reading. Now go, or Professor Flitwick will give you detention." He handed the paper to her and closed the door.  
  
Halfway down the Charms corridor she unfolded the note and read it.  
  
Mme. Pince,  
  
By my authorization, Miss Rénardier has unhindered access to all of the Potions books in the Restricted Section.  
  
Severus Snape  
  
Another scrap of paper fell out of the first. It read:  
  
For outstanding laboratory skills on the part of Ursula Rénardier, twenty points to Slytherin.  
  
S. S  
  
Ursula slumped against the wall. I think I'm getting a small crush on the Potions Master, she thought dazedly. Needless to say, she was late for Charms. 


End file.
